Turkey hunting boots

[Displaced_Vol]

Hatchie river bottoms and would rather be totally snakeproof than totally waterproof if I had to choose only one. Taken March23. In a normal weather year they're pokin around good in March. Pissed off and ornery in April. Downright come after ye in May and beyond.

This feller was laying in a little sunny spot less than 2 ft from my boot just trying to warm up that morning. Never saw him til he tried to ease away all chilly and groggy. If it would have been April May or June my foot or leg would have got a hit no doubt.

Head the size of a billiard ball. Body like a baseball bat. Just plain mess up your pretty spring day.


View attachment 68922

Nope. No thank you. Not even a little bit.

 

[Displaced_Vol]

I guess it's worth mentioning that I go through a pair of muck boots every other year. Between deer hunting and turkey hunting I always rip holes in the neoprene uppers. But I find them much more comfortable than the all-rubber boots I've tried.

I'd be interested in everyones' opinion. I feel like snake boots are a little bit of a gimmick. I've owned them and they're nice, but has anyone ever heard of a snake actually biting through regular rubber boots?

I should probably err on the side of caution, but I guess I don't. One farm I hunt borders a huge beaver pond slough. There is a 1/2 mile of old gravel road bed with a 1/2 mile long beaver dam bordering it for the entire length. I guess it's more of a beaver levee. Never seen anything like it anywhere else. Regardless, every sunny morning in the spring, cottonmouths come out of the swamp mid-morning and lay in the road to warm up. It's a bit of a mine field walking out. I usually just take my time and throw rocks to scare them out of my path. But a couple years ago I killed a turkey and was still jacked up on endorphins, not paying attention and I walked right over this one. I guess he was still cold and sluggish because he didn't coil up and act aggressive until I was past him. Could have really ruined a good morning.

View attachment 68949

I'm afraid I'd have run off & left the turkey after I screamed.

 

[megalomaniac]

I'm rolling the dice. Too mobile to wear snake boots. Heck, last year to get to one of my spots I had to crawl through 100y of underbrush in the dark to get to a point where I could walk crouched over the last 300y to my listening spot.

I'll prob get bit eventually... not sure if the $30,000 CroFab and hospital bill Is worth it, but I have insurance. But I'm more likely to get bit on my hands, arms, or torso than my legs, and snake boots won't help those bites.

For some reason, I have zero fear of snakebites... prob just blissful ignorance. I encounter a handful of cottonmouths each season. I'm still hoping to see my first eastern diamondback. Been here in south MS 20y and never seen one. There were 2 killed by members on my deer lease this past fall, so im sure I'll get to see one eventually.

 

[Stumpsitter]

Rocky pro-lite snake boots for me.
I hunt run-gun on the top and sides of the plateau. Cover a lot of ground. They are relatively comfortable, you just have to break them in. Feet haven't got wet that I can remember from wet grass or creeks. They will get a little warm on your legs especially late in the season. I have only encountered one aggressive rattlesnake while turkey hunting in 30+ years of turkey hunting. I just try to stay where I can see my feet if I can lol,
with that being said I have been thinking about hikers and gaiters for a couple of years wondering if would be better.

 

[hbg1]

I'm not fat but I am 51 and getting to my feet isn't as easy as it once was. I can't imagine lacing up boots and then on top of that having to put a pair of gaiters on

 

[Boll Weevil]

I have only encountered one aggressive rattlesnake while turkey hunting in 30+ years of turkey hunting.

This might be what it comes down to for many...frequency of poisonius snake encounters. Guaranteed every spring I will come across SEVERAL cottonmouths and that's the ones I see. Only God knows how many I don't see. Like all wild critters just the right habitat for'em on my farm I guess.

 

[Granddaddy]

For about 10 yrs I wrote a pair of Cabela's boots that were solid camo canvas goretex boots. Very light weight with a vibran sole with low lugs (wouldn't hold mud) great fit with cushy innersoles. Could walk for days in them. Seems like they were advertised as turkey stalkers. Used them only for turkey hunting & occasional pheasant hunt in SD. Just fabulous boots. Never saw them in their catalog a couple of yrs after purchase. Last season the soles finally gave up & I just purchased some Danner Alsea boots in Mossy Oak camo, very light weight, 8"goretex, seem comfortable. Seem like well made boots - we'll see.

 

[scn]

I wear my Muck boots early in the season while the temps are not conducive to many snake encounters. I usually have my pants outside to protect the neoprene uppers.

When it gets a little warmer, I switch over to some Lacrosse Alpha sports that are still held together by black Shoe Goo. No telling the miles they have on them. I wear a set of snakeproof gaiters over the boots.

On a really hot and dry day, I have some Danner snake boots that are very light and comfortable. Unfortunately, they leak pretty bad to the point of wet feet in even heavy dew.

There are too many big timber rattlers where I hunt to feel comfortable not wearing some type of snake protection.

 

[Boll Weevil]

GOOD LORD - SCREW THAT! I'd scream like a little school girl

Made me belly laugh! I bet a lot folks wouldn't wander and wade through some of these snakepits across the south chasing a dang turkey if they knew what was out there. Tongue in cheek perhaps but you ain't alone I guarantee.

When we was little it was, "You go first." "Naw you go first...I went first last time!"

As we got older we just dealt with it; hunt and fish snakey ground and deal with it.

 

[TheLBLman]

I feel like snake boots are a little bit of a gimmick. I've owned them and they're nice, but has anyone ever heard of a snake actually biting through regular rubber boots?

Snake boots are unquestionably "marketed" by preying on our fears. But they aren't a "gimmick" either. Should a big rattler or cottonmouth strike your foot or lower leg, rubber boots may not protect you; snake boots will.

An averaged sized rattler's fangs can penetrate your rubber boots (and/or neoprene) like it's just a layer of butter. So can a big cottonmouth.

Fortunately, the most aggressive (and generally most common) viper is our Copperhead, which has short fangs & the least potent venom. You would normally be ok wearing rubber boots in protecting against their bites.

Even though I do more my turkey hunting in areas with big rattlers, the snake I fear most is the cottonmouth. They can be as or more aggressive as copperheads, but cottonmouths have long fangs and a venom that's almost as potent as the rattlesnake.

I've had some close calls, have stepped on all three, and only the stepped on rattler didn't strike. A large copperhead hit me above the boots, somehow got is fangs hung in my jeans, but there was no bite on my leg.

Fortunately, I was wearing snake boots when a large cottonmouth hit me right above the ankle. I have no doubt he would have got some venom in me if I'd been wearing rubber boots. Have also had several unprovoked copperheads & cottonmouths strike short or miss, but have never had a rattler strike at me (unprovoked).

Rattlers will more commonly just get out of your way, and/or not strike you when you step close, but you can't count on that. And it they get their fangs in you, it can certainly kill you.

That said, more people die annually from bee & wasp stings. I hate wasps worse than snakes, and fear ticks more than wasps.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I rarely even see a snake turkey hunting anywhere other than the beaver swamp mentioned above. That place makes up for the others and then some, but even down there I hardly even think about the snakes other than looking around a tree before sitting down and running them out if the road on the walk out. They just don't bother me. But I always take pics and talk up how bad the snakes are just in case someone thinks about slipping down there when no one's around. Someone with a genuine fear of snakes simply couldn't hunt it.

If there was a real market for beaver pelts and cottonmouth skins, that chunk of swamp would be the most valuable land in West TN.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Never weighed a kilt snake but some of these dudes are BIG muscular Mike Tyson heavyweight type snakes. When they slap a boot shucks...honestly don't know what them teeth could get thru. Been struck at many times but never ever actually got bit.

 

[Gravey]

I guess it's worth mentioning that I go through a pair of muck boots every other year. Between deer hunting and turkey hunting I always rip holes in the neoprene uppers. But I find them much more comfortable than the all-rubber boots I've tried.

I'd be interested in everyones' opinion. I feel like snake boots are a little bit of a gimmick. I've owned them and they're nice, but has anyone ever heard of a snake actually biting through regular rubber boots?

I should probably err on the side of caution, but I guess I don't. One farm I hunt borders a huge beaver pond slough. There is a 1/2 mile of old gravel road bed with a 1/2 mile long beaver dam bordering it for the entire length. I guess it's more of a beaver levee. Never seen anything like it anywhere else. Regardless, every sunny morning in the spring, cottonmouths come out of the swamp mid-morning and lay in the road to warm up. It's a bit of a mine field walking out. I usually just take my time and throw rocks to scare them out of my path. But a couple years ago I killed a turkey and was still jacked up on endorphins, not paying attention and I walked right over this one. I guess he was still cold and sluggish because he didn't coil up and act aggressive until I was past him. Could have really ruined a good morning.

View attachment 68949

If I hunted a place infested with those I'd quit hunting.

 

[megalomaniac]

I have a friend that loved to turkey hunt and gave it up because he got struck by a giant diamondback in south MS 6 yrs ago.

He said it felt like someone hit his butt with a baseball while chasing a turkey. Snake hit him so high, his wallet saved him from envenomation.

May be a tall tale, his wife may be the real reason he no longer turkey hunts.

But I digress...

 

[Spurhunter]

If I hunted a place infested with those I'd quit hunting.

That's what I say about bears.

 

[Longbeard865]

Great setup. Nothing like having quality footwear and gaiters. If you amortize that investment over 5-10 years, it is not that expensive IMO. Assuming you use your gear/footwear in the woods, like most of us here do.

I agree. I also treat my boots regularly with the Kenetrek wax to keep them in top shape. I've had them for two years and they still look great. I have put tons of miles on them too. Two trips out west on elk hunts, turkey hunting, hiking, and some times I catch myself going to them just to wear because they are comfortable. The gaiters really help protect the upper half of the boot too.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

some of these dudes are BIG muscular Mike Tyson heavyweight type snakes.

I need to quit opening this thread. At this point, it has me not even wanting to get my gear out. I've never used a light while turkey hunting.

 

[Andy S.]

I agree. I also treat my boots regularly with the Kenetrek wax to keep them in top shape. I've had them for two years and they still look great. I have put tons of miles on them too. Two trips out west on elk hunts, turkey hunting, hiking, and some times I catch myself going to them just to wear because they are comfortable. The gaiters really help protect the upper half of the boot too.

Same wax I use, and I have been overly impressed. Great product for sure. If Kenetrek's label is on it, it is quality. My good friends that live out West are my go to source for quality 7" to 9" boots and gaiters. They recommended the Kenetrek boot wax several years back. It is all I use now.

 

[Levee Jumper]

I wear Big Chief Uninsulated 32" hip boots 80% of the time. I like to think that they snake-proof but I know they aren't.

 

[hbg1]

Is the wax just for leather boots?